Introduction

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The so called "Winter of Discontent" in 1978-79 led directly to the downfall of Jim Callaghan's Labour government and ushered in Margaret Thatcher as British Prime Minister.  It provides a rich political and cultural backdrop in which to recreate a dystopian future-past of hypothetical class conflict in the UK

The ever objective and balanced British press of the time was reporting anarchy and revolution on every picket line and looking behind every uncollected rubbish bin for 'Mad Trots'. That in the corridors of power and offices of industry there was talk of private armies and winks at MI5 dirty tricks.

The Conservative victory on 3rd May, 1979 was in essence a bloodless coup. Riding high on the "Falklands Factor" the following Tory landslide at the polls in 1983 gave the government carte blanche to  militarise the police, subvert the laws of the realm, take on the unions and provoke conflict with the miners in the Miners Strike of 1984-85.

So it doesn't take too much of a stretch of imagination to pull together coherent scenarios from civil disobedience and riot to armed insurrection and open civil war for tabletop battles in miniature.

We are not interested in what actually happened, the politics of rights and wrongs. This blog will attempt to be bi-partizan, though we will of course put a slant on things if it blags a good wargame scenario.

Let me say now, clearly and emphatically that we do not endorse any of the political parties or beliefs that will be mentioned during the course of  this blog. Our aim, with a sowewhat sly eye is to recreate the what-if's of 1979-1985, through the medium of model soldiers, Airfix kits and punkrock/mod revival soundtracks. 

Cheers

Mark

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The NME Revolution

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The Winter of '79 is a blog dedicated to wargaming an alternative political history of the United Kingdom following the 'Winter of Discontent' in 1978 and subsequent election of a Tory government under Margaret Thatcher in 1979.


It is inspired not at all by the popular A Very British Civil War rules, but solely due to Steve Blease's excellent blog ENGLAND PREVAILS and my own memories as a Sixth Former in 1979; of mass protests, riots and increasing tensions at heavy handed policing as seen through the eyes of  groundswell bands such as The Clash, Jam and TRB.

1979 was also a time of Airfix Magazine, British soldiers in Boots DMS and SLRs - of Scorpions, Chieftains and '432s; Saladins and Saracens, the Wessex, Scout, Gazelle and Puma.

In short, The Winter of '79 is my history and provides me with an opportunity to relive some of my youth through collecting these models again, listening to the music I enjoyed and playing out the coup/revolution that never came.

Cheers

Mark

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(*NME=New Musical Express)

"Kids! Sisters! Brothers!

The heat is on! The Pigs are on the street! The sickening so called election of the thatcherite fascists exposes the sham of so called british democracy. the working class have sold themselves out to a repressive bourgeois sexist pig regime. the SPG goons are showing us the violence inherent in the iron clawed system as the brutal tory nazis roll back the frontiers of the state right over our heads.

Kids! 2-4-6-8! Its never too late to UNITE and FIGHT!

what do we want?
a workers revolution and an end to the fascist repression!
when do we want it?
NOW!

Get on the Streets!

Rick Spart
Co-Chair
Red Spike Youth Revolution

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RESTRICTED

......BEGINS......

FROM: Pierce
TO Smith Harry


Harry, the lamplighters picked this up. A case in point. One for your talents I think. Recommendations through usual channels though it's your game.

P

......ENDS......

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